Songwriter/Producer/Illustrator/Animator extraordinaire Chad VanGaalen is back with a new album entitled Diaper Island. The Calgary musician has always had an eccentric sonic palette ranging from Neil Young-inflected folk songs to synth-laden electronic freak-outs. He’s also produced a fine pair of albums for the band Women. On Diaper Island, VanGaalen exercises measured restraint rather than the no-holds-barred experimentalism he’s exhibited on past releases. The tone is set immediately with album opener “Do Not Fear,” whose classic rock meets 90′s indie with its crunchy guitars and lo-fi aesthetic. Diaper Island is a fitting title. There is an underpinning of grime permeating even its most accessible moments. Whether it be the stoner groove of “Peace On The Rise,” the garage-rocker “Burning Photographs,” the stripped-down strum of “Sara,” or the hazy fingerpicking of dubiously titled closer “Shave My Pussy,” VanGaalen has created an album built on a foundation of discord. While VanGaalen’s unpredictability has been dialed down on Diaper Island it doesn’t come at the expense of creativity. The album’s cohesion is a strength rather than a detriment and it’s easily one of the more notable releases of 2011. — Capt. Obvious

Listen:

Sara.mp3

Peace On The Rise.mp3